Top 10 athletes from Hyderabad
Sania Mirza and Saina Nehwal. There is more in common between the two than just the letters of their first names that have left many confused. Both hail from the south Indian city of Hyderabad, which is also home to many more glorious athletes.From the first Indian Test Captain, Colonel CK Nayudu to India’s first ever World Number one in tennis, it is hard to encapsulate the contribution of Hyderabad to Indian sport.Let us take a moment and look at the city’s rich contribution to sport.
#10 Syed Abdul Rahim
at the Melbourne Olympics in 1956.
‘Rahim Saab’ as he became universally renowned, Syed Abdul Rahim was the invisible force that guided Indian football to its apex.
Not only was he the coach who helped India clinch the Gold medal at the 1951 and ‘62 Asian Games, he also helped India finish fourth at the Melbourne Olympics in 1956, an achievement which is still considered India’s greatest in the sport.
While the football fraternity in India continues to pay its respects to the man who practically shaped the sport in the country, it is sad to note that his achievements continue to be ignored by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and the Indian government.